Tesla drops its largest consumer Powerwall model

If you're thinking about buying Tesla's Powerwall home energy storage battery, you're down to one option. The company tells Greentech Media that it will discontinue the larger $3,500 10kWh model due to lack of demand. "We have decided to focus entirely on building and deploying the 7kWh Daily Powerwall at this time," a spokeperson says. While the larger model was able to store more energy, it's rated for just 500 cycles, while the smaller $3,000 model is for daily use and has a 10-year guarantee.

On its website, Tesla now says "each Powerwall has a 6.4 kWh energy storage capacity, sufficient to power most homes during the evening using electricity generated by solar panels during the day. Multiple batteries may be installed together for homes with greater energy needs." The larger model, on the other hand, was marketed as a "home backup" system that was only for weekly charging -- something most folks apparently don't need.

However, Tesla is likely also clearing the way for new Powerwall models that could arrive this summer, as it recently hinted at a private gathering. If that proves accurate, you can probably expect more daily charging Powerwall models with even higher capacity and durability.